Tube harness



March 17, 1964 P. J. WEAVER TUBE HARNESS Filed Feb. 7, 1961 ATTOR/V'YI.

United States Patent Oflice Patented Mar. 17, 1964 3,125,361 TUBEHARNESS Paul J. Weaver, Pasadena, Calif., assignor to Stanley G.Harwood, South Pasadena, Calif. Filed Feb. 7, 1961, Ser. No. 87,613 2Claims. (Cl. 285137) This application relates to a tube harness for theguiding and simultaneous interconnection of a plurality offluid-conveying tubings to terminal ports.

The use of multiple-contactor couplings for making electrical andelectronic connections is well known. Such plugs enable a large numberof circuits to be made or broken simultaneously. This is a conveniencewhich makes the use of electrical power desirable for many uses where,were a like coupling available for fluid systems, fluid power might beused. There are many applications where fluid power is reallypreferable. In some of them, the absence of a really effective couplingfor the simultaneous connecting or disconnecting of a plurality ofpneumatic or hydraulic lines has led to a reluctance to utilize suchpower, where otherwise the suitability of such power would justify, andeven suggest, its use.

It is an object of this invention to provide a tube harness whichincludes a plurality of tubes and coupling means whereby these tubes canbe quickly and expedi tiously connected to respective terminal ports,and just as quickly and expeditiously disconnected therefrom.

A tube harness according to this invention comprises a plurality oftubes and a coupling at one end thereof. The coupling includes anattachment plate which has a plurality of attachment ports passingtherethrough. There is a sleeve integral with the attachment platealigned with each of said attachment ports. All of these sleeves projectbeyond the attachment plate from the same side thereof. Each tube passesthrough a respective attachment port, and its sleeve is crimped into itswall to indent and retain the tube.

A transfer plate has a plurality of transfer ports which are alignedwith respective attachment ports. These receive the sleeve. Fastenermeans hold the transfer plate to the attachment plate so that theassembly of the tube ends and the two plates can be handled as a unit.

The coupling further includes a base having a sink for receiving atleast the transfer plate, and is also provided with retainer means forholding the attachment and retainer plates in the sink. Base ports,which constitute terminal ports for other parts of the respectivecircuits pass through the base and are aligned with respective transferports.

According to a preferred but optional feature of the invention, thetransfer ports are each provided with counter-bores at both ends whichreceive sealing rings that seal between the transfer plate and theattachment plate on one side, and the transfer plates and the base onthe other.

The above and other features of this invention will be fully understoodfrom the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings inwhich:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation partly in cut-away crosssection taken at line1-1 of FIG. 2 showing the presently preferred embodiment of theinvention; and

FIG. 2 is a cross-section taken at line 2-2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 1 shows a supporting structure which might be a bulkhead or amounting plate to which there is attached by hold-down bolts 11 a base12 which forms the stationary part of a coupling according to theinvention.

The base has a plurality of base ports 14 which constitute terminalports for a plurality of conduits 15. It is the object of the deviceshown in FIG. 1 to couple a plurality of flexible tubes 16 to aplurality of conduits 15,

making simultaneous connection or disconnection with all of them.

The base includes a sink 17 having an internally walled section 18. Theinternally walled section has an external thread 19 thereon.

The harness includes a cover 20 which shrouds the tubes so that they aregrouped together. The shroud is attached to an adapter 21. The adapterhas a hold-down flange 22 at its end closest to the base and a thread 23by which the shroud is attached.

The coupling includes an attachment plate 25 which has a plurality ofattachment ports 26 passing therethrough. Each of the ports has a sleeve27 integral with the bottom face 28 of the attachment plate. The tubespass through their respective attachment ports and project beyond thesleeve. Each sleeve has a crimped end 29 which indents the tubing andretains it against expulsion in the vertical direction in FIG. 1.

A transfer plate 30 has an upper face 31 held flush against lower face28 of the attachment plate by fastener means comprising screws 32. Thetransfer plate has a plurality of transfer ports 33 which are alignedwith respective ones of the attachment ports and of the base ports. Eachtransfer port has a first and a second counter-bore 34, 35 in the upperand lower faces, respectively of the transfer plate. This leaves acentral ridge 36 having shoulders 37, 38 at its top and bottom surfaces.

A first sealing ring 40 fits in counter-bore 34 and extends between andseals with the outer side wall of sleeve 27 and the side Wall ofcounter-bore 34. Another sealing ring 41 is fitted in counter-bore 35and extends and seals between shoulder 38 and the bottom of sink 17.Thus sealing ring 40 makes a fluid seal between the attachment andtransfer plates. Sealing ring 41 makes a fluid seal between the transferplate and the base. Both of these sealing rings encircle the fluidchannel defined by the ports and by the tube so as to completely containfluid in the tube.

Retainer means comprising a cap 42 with an internal thread 43 and aninternally projecting flange 44 is threaded to the external thread oncylindrical wall 18. Flange 44 bears against washer 4S and therebycompresses the stagk beneath it to hold the coupling firmly assembled.It will be observed that connections and disconnections are readilyaccomplished merely by threading or unthreading the retainer. The sealbetween the attachment and transfer plates is a reliable one, because ofthe screw connection between them and the fluid sealing connectionbetween the transfer plates. It will be recognized that retainer meansother than the threaded cap could be provided such as many types ofquick disconnects, cam locks, wedge locks, and other types offastenings. If desired, keys (not shown) can be provided to assurerotational alignment between the ports in the transfer plate and in thebase.

This invention thereby provides a simple and expedient harness andcoupling means whereby plurality of fluid circuits can be made or brokenquickly and easily. This harness is particularly useful with flexibletubes, such as nylon tubes, which can be indented by a crimped sleevewithout substantial cold-flow. However, it is also useful for lessflexible tubes, even metallic tubes, but the principal usage is with agrouping of flexible tubes, much the equivalent of a wiring harness.

The invention is not to be limited by the embodiment shown in thedrawings and described in the description which is given by way ofexample and not of limitation, but only in accordance with the scope ofthe appended claims.

I claim:

1. A tube harness comprising: a plurality of tubes; an

attachment plate having a plurality of attachment ports passingtherethrough; a sleeve aligned with each of said attachment ports,integral with and projecting beyond the attachment plate, all of saidsleeves being on the same side thereof, one of said tubes passingthrough each of said attachment ports, each sleeve being crimped intoits respective tube to indent and retain the same; a transfer platehaving a plurality of transfer ports, each being aligned with one ofsaid attachment ports and adapted to receive a respective sleeve, and acounter-bore at each end of each transfer port, a sealing ring in eachof said counter-bores; each sealing ring in one face of said transferplate being adapted to encircle, extend between, and seal between therespective sleeve and the wall of its counter-bore; a base having aplurality of base ports, each being aligned with one of said transferports; an internally walled section on said base surrounding andembracing the transfer plate and forming a sink for receiving thetransfer plate, whereby the transfer ports are held aligned with thebase ports, and with the sealing rings on the second face of thetransfer plate extending between and sealing between the transfer plateand the base so as to seal around each of said transfer ports; externalthreads on said internally walled section; an internally flangedretainer cap threadedly engaged to the said internally Walled sectionand adapted to clamp the attachment plate against the transfer plate,and the transfer plate against the base; and fastener means joining theattachment plate to the transfer plate, whereby fluid connection betweenthe tubes and the base ports is accomplished by placing the transferplate in the sink and against the base plate and tightening down the capto move the flange to bear against the attachment plate.

2. A tube harness according to claim 1 in which the transfer plate has apair of opposite fiat parallel faces, the transfer port extendingbetween the said faces, the counter-bores lying in said faces at theintersections of the transfer ports and the faces, the sealing ringsbeing seated in said counter-bores so that the sealing rings at eachrespective face are substantially co-planar.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,949,668 Weatherhead Mar. 6, 1934 2,785,536 Hinckley Mar. 19, 1957

1. A TUBE HARNESS COMPRISING: A PLURALITY OF TUBES; AN ATTACHMENT PLATEHAVING A PLURALITY OF ATTACHMENT PORTS PASSING THERETHROUGH; A SLEEVEALIGNED WITH EACH OF SAID ATTACHMENT PORTS, INTEGRAL WITH AND PROJECTINGBEYOND THE ATTACHMENT PLATE, ALL OF SAID SLEEVES BEING ON THE SAME SIDETHEREOF, ONE OF SAID TUBES PASSING THROUGH EACH OF SAID ATTACHMENTPORTS, EACH SLEEVE BEING CRIMPED INTO ITS RESPECTIVE TUBE TO INDENT ANDRETAIN THE SAME; A TRANSFER PLATE HAVING A PLURALITY OF TRANSFER PORTS,EACH BEING ALIGNED WITH ONE OF SAID ATTACHMENT PORTS AND ADAPTED TORECEIVE A RESPECTIVE SLEEVE, AND A COUNTER-BORE AT EACH END OF EACHTRANSFER PORT, A SEALING RING IN EACH OF SAID COUNTER-BORES; EACHSEALING RING IN ONE FACE OF SAID TRANSFER PLATE BEING ADAPTED TOENCIRCLE, EXTEND BETWEEN, AND SEAL BETWEEN THE RESPECTIVE SLEEVE AND THEWALL OF ITS COUNTER-BORE; A BASE HAVING A PLURALITY OF BASE PORTS, EACHBEING ALIGNED WITH ONE OF SAID TRANSFER PORTS; AN INTERNALLY WALLEDSECTION ON SAID BASE SURROUNDING AND EMBRACING THE TRANSFER PLATE ANDFORMING A SINK FOR RECEIVING THE TRANSFER PLATE, WHEREBY THE TRANSFERPORTS ARE HELD ALIGNED WITH THE BASE PORTS, AND WITH THE SEALING RINGSON THE SECOND FACE OF THE TRANSFER PLATE EXTENDING BETWEEN AND SEALINGBETWEEN THE TRANSFER PLATE AND THE BASE SO AS TO SEAL AROUND EACH OFSAID TRANSFER PORTS; EXTERNAL THREADS ON SAID INTERNALLY WALLED SECTION;AN INTERNALLY FLANGED RETAINER CAP THREADEDLY ENGAGED TO THE SAIDINTERNALLY WALLED SECTION AND ADAPTED TO CLAMP THE ATTACHMENT PLATEAGAINST THE TRANSFER PLATE, AND THE TRANSFER PLATE AGAINST THE BASE; ANDFASTENER MEANS JOINING THE ATTACHMENT PLATE TO THE TRANSFER PLATE,WHEREBY FLUID CONNECTION BETWEEN THE TUBES AND THE BASE PORTS ISACCOMPLISHED BY PLACING THE TRANSFER PLATE IN THE SINK AND AGAINST THEBASE PLATE AND TIGHTENING DOWN THE CAP TO MOVE THE FLANGE TO BEARAGAINST THE ATTACHMENT PLATE.